winner....

via pinterest


I am beyond frustrated with Blogger - just lost a long post
I had been working on......gaahhhhhh!!  So, will just
announce the winner of the Creatively Made Home giveaway and 
walk away from the computer......

The winner is:

Jen Kershner!  Congrats!!!!
{I had only 10 entrants and asked my
daughter to pick a number from 1-10 and she picked
10 - so you can thank my Emma!}

Ok....I will be back soon with my post -
when I completely reload pics and compose.....

Creatively Made Home {giveaway!}....

Sarah, Jeanne, Kim, Tracey, Jen

As you know, creating a home that is comfortable, pretty,

personal and welcoming is my passion.  I share that passion

with many talented blogging friends, five of whom are pictured above.

The creative and gracious Jeanne Oliver has brought this group of ladies together to

teach a online course called Creatively Made Home. Please click

on the link to learn more about the class.....

I am excited to give away ONE course to a lucky

Forever*Cottage reader!

Because fall always has my head swimming with ideas for

how I would like to re-decorate, re-organize, cook a new meal,

begin a new routine/habit, I would like you to tell me (in the comments)

what it is that you are dreaming about for your

your home this fall.  I will pick the winner 

on Wednesday, August 29 by noon PST.

Good luck!

Rest, recovery....and winners!

Thanks for being patient with me.....I promised to announce

the Junk Bonanza prize winner yesterday, but true to form,

I am late....again.

I had oral surgery {over sharing?} last Thursday

and the recovery has been rather uncomfortable.  Our

family headed to central Oregon for the weekend so momma

could take it easy and do a whole lot of nothing at my parents house.

We are back and I am feeling better!

I took these Instagram photos over the weekend - I don't

remember if my oral surgeon prescribed wine but it seemed

to help my recovery!

So without further adieu  - the winner of the Junk Bonanza giveaway is:

vickiatthelake@aol.com

I will be contacting you vickiatthelake to arrange for you

to get your prizes!  Congratulations!

Junk Bonanaza Giveaway!

My favorite midwest flea market is back this year in Shakopee, Minnesota

on September 13, 14 and 15.  As their tagline says, Junk Bonanza

is the "Best Junk Round-Up in the Nation"!  My friend

Ki Nassauer gathers a fabulous group of vendors who save junk

all year and bring their best to this show!

I am giving away a Junk Bonanza tote bag filled with the 

latest issue of Flea Market Style magazine {which is NOT

in stores yet} and TWO VIP tickets to the 2012 Junk Bonanza!

In order to enter:

* Leave a comment on this post by Monday, August 20 at noon PST,

I am keeping it THAT simple.  I will announce a winner on Monday afternoon.

With temps in the 90's - unusual for us in the Pacific Northwest, our

family is heading to central Oregon to hang out at my parent's home -

they have a swimming pool in their neighborhood!

Hope you have an awesome weekend!

Teen Room

Teen rooms can be tricky and often in my house, not 'photo ready', if

you get what I mean.  As much as I would love to be given

full reign over decorating my girls' rooms, I would never expect it.

I really believe spaces should be an expression of the 

people/person who lives there, so thus, my girl's bedrooms

are each uniquely 'them'.  

We did a little tweaking in my almost 14 year olds room this summer and in

a rare moment, I found it clean so I snapped a few photos!  

The biggest change we made was removing the vintage iron bed {which momma liked,

teen not so much} and changing the bedding.  

I inherited the white slipcovered headboard from a friend who was re-doing her 

daughter's room.  The grey {gray?} polka dot duvet and pillow cases are

from Ikea, the body pillow cover from PB Teen and the quilted grey/yellow/purple

shams are from Target!  The Dream BIG pillow is from PB Teen.

The gallery wall is a mix of vintage E's found on momma's flea-tiquing 

adventures.  The prints were purchased on Etsy  and I hope speak to 

my girl, particularly during these difficult teen years.

Momma loves herself a gallery wall!

I used locker baskets on her bookshelves to corral her collections -

cause like her momma, this girl is a collector!  

And no teen room is complete without oodles of perfume in the strongest

scents possible - these days sprayed liberally throughout the 

room so as the room smells like their favorite clothing stores.........

The bottle may say "sweet and flirty" but seems anything but

when you walk up our stairs and the scent hits you before you even get

to her room!

Both my girls have extra large cork boards in their rooms.  I allow

them to put whatever they want on the board - cause I am

mean like that, but mostly because I do not want posters 

all over the walls.

Obviously, my teen likes soccer and the boy band One Direction {and her classmates}.

Here is my teen girl.......doing what she seems to do best.....

And she just might kill me for including this photo, but hey, if you are going to do

it, I am going to post it honey.

Given the chance would I have decorated this room differently?

Probably, but that's not the point.  This room is perfect for her.

Put a ring on it.....

I began collecting vintage silver or pewter napkin

rings a few years ago.  My collection is a mismatched

bunch which I love to use when I entertain.

Each ring is unique - I especially love rings with

monograms.  I don't think I have paid more than a couple

dollars for any one ring......

Vintage napkins rings - a simple collectible that helps

set a special table!  

Unexpected {gifts} blessings.....

Receiving and giving gifts is one of life's greatest blessings......

Finding the perfect gift for someone is a joy....

and sometimes an elusive occurrence, but when it happens

it is a happy-dance moment. I love watching someone

I love open a gift that is uniquely perfect for them. Nothing

says "I get you" more than that!

Being the recipient of thoughtful gifts recently, makes me 

want to be a better gift-giver......

Recently, I received two very thoughtful and PERFECT gifts

for me.  The first gift was received in the mail {isn't that the best?}

from a blogger who has become a friend, Mary THE

Urban Farmgirl. Mary is an extraordinary seller of vintage, a talented

photographer, a house 'flipper', a dreamer, a traveler, 

a kind and thoughtful friend to many

and a lover of country music {like me!}.  Mary learned of my

Swedish heritage after I purchased a sign from her last year.  

She recently came across this vintage Bible written in Swedish 

and thought of me!  Not many would find a vintage Swedish Bible

particularly special, but thinking I would, Mary gifted

me this wonderful treasure.

The second gift was from a Portland friend who was 

lucky enough to travel to France this summer to celebrate

her 40th birthday.  She knows I have a special group of girlfriends -

and we refer to ourselves as the "Radishes" - I know, completely

weird, but there is a story - a long story that I don't need to go

into right now......but this French traveling friend, although not 

fortunate enough to be a "Radish" but knowing how important those 

friends are to me{ha!}........found this small plant stake 

at a store in France and knew I would love it.  And I do! I love it,

because it says "radish" in French,  but I love it even more

because it's a reminder that I have 

a thoughtful friend who knows me well. 

I was meeting my friend for dinner the evening she

gave this to me and I think she said something

along the lines of...."I have something silly, small

to give you from my trip....".....

This gift may be small {in size} but it proves that

small, thoughtful and meaningful beats big, flashy,

and shiny any day!

?

What they say is true....it's REALLY the thought that counts!

Have you been blessed with any thoughtful gifts lately? Do tell....

Time.......

Looking through photos, I came across this image that

Heather Bullard shot in my Minnesota home {for Flea Market Style

magazine} about two years ago.

I love my collection of old clocks.....and Heather captured

them so beautifully.  Although, this image reminds me

 of how quickly time is passing.

This summer has been particularly busy.

I find myself craving a slower pace, with time

to nest and just 'be'......

Is it just me?  Or are you feeling the same?